The Automatic Stay is one of the primary benefits you will receive when filing for bankruptcy. Once your bankruptcy case is filed and the Automatic Stay is in effect, before a creditor can contact you they must get permission from the bankruptcy court. Essentially, once you file for bankruptcy a creditor cannot do anything to try to collect money from you for past debts – No calls, No bills.
As the name implies the automatic stay goes into effect automatically when your case is filed. The Automatic Stay is the protection from creditors that most bankruptcy filers hope for and provides the foundation for the fresh start you desire when filing for bankruptcy.